Prabowo, Wong reaffirm open Malacca Strait under UNCLOS

Indonesia and Singapore reaffirm our position on the Malacca Strait. We have a shared interest in keeping the Malacca Strait a free shipping lane for all,

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto and Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong agreed on Monday to keep the Malacca Strait and Singapore Strait open for international shipping under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The agreement was announced after the annual Indonesia-Singapore Leaders' Retreat at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, where the two leaders addressed a joint news conference following bilateral talks.

Wong said developments in the Middle East had underscored the strategic importance of the two waterways, reinforcing the need to keep them safe, open, and accessible for international shipping and trade.

"President Prabowo and I agreed to do our part, together with the other littoral states, to ensure that the Malacca Strait and the Singapore Strait remain safe, open, and accessible to all," Wong said.

He said Indonesia and Singapore, as littoral states, shared a common strategic interest in upholding freedom of navigation and ensuring maritime trade routes remain open in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Prabowo reaffirmed Indonesia's commitment to maintaining the Malacca Strait as a safe and open international shipping lane for all countries.

"Indonesia and Singapore reaffirm our position on the Malacca Strait. We have a shared interest in keeping the Malacca Strait a free shipping lane for all," Prabowo said.

The Indonesian president said threats facing the strategic waterway now extend beyond piracy and maritime accidents to environmental pollution, underscoring the need for closer cooperation between Indonesia and Singapore.

Prabowo said Indonesia would continue coordinating with Malaysia and Thailand, the other littoral states, to ensure the Malacca Strait remains open, safe, and accessible in accordance with the 1982 UNCLOS.

The Malacca Strait, linking the Indian and Pacific oceans, is one of the world's busiest maritime chokepoints, carrying a substantial share of global trade and energy shipments. Its security and uninterrupted accessibility are considered critical to regional and global commerce.

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Translator: Genta Tenri Mawangi, Martha Herlinawati Simanjunta

Editor: M Razi Rahman

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